How have the concepts ‘masculinity/masculinities’ and ‘femininity/femininities’ been constructed philosophically, culturally, socially and institutionally in modern society? How do the considerations of class, race, sexuality, as well as national, postcolonial and trans-local contexts affect our understanding of masculinity/masculinities? Why is masculinity frequently thought to be in ‘crisis’ nowadays? What new phenomena and discourses about masculinity can we identify nowadays and how can we analyze and deal with these changes? How can we as human beings understand ourselves and negotiate our relations with each other in relation to these changing concepts and relations?

This course introduces students to the field of masculinity studies and its intersections with feminist, postcolonial and queer theories and movements as well as issues of nationalism, colonialism, homosexuality and homosociality. It addresses such issues as the emergence of modern masculinities in the East and the West as well as the culturally and historically specific configurations of such issues in Hong Kong, China and elsewhere. We will evaluate the critiques of masculinity as well as men’s responses to these challenges in an open, appreciative and also critical manner that is respectful of differences.